The last hurrah

There was almost a sense of anticlimax as President George W Bush, a man whose personal approval ratings at below thirty per cent are lower than just about any president ever achieved, faced the press for the last time. He defended his record vigorously at times and owned a few of the more obvious mistakes – 'Mission accomplished' being one of them and the curious case of the vanishing Weapons of Mass Destruction being another – but it was a sense of 'disappointment' that hung heaviest over the event. How history will judge the man and his eight years of office remains to be seen, but if his approval rating is poor at home, it is little short of abysmal in much of the rest of the world – and not only at a personal level. G W Bush has created a bedrock of unpopularity for America and its foreign policies as they played out globally that is going to take a long time to erode.

'Disappointment' is something of an understatement. He was 'disappointed' at the maltreatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib, and the inept way the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was handled and he was disappointed with "the tone in Washington, D C". He even found some disappointment-in-advance to bestow on his successor Barack Obama who will find that "…sometimes your biggest disappointments will come from your so-called friends." Disappointments aside there was a sense that he was somehow struggling to come to grips with where it all went wrong for him. He relied heavily throughout his tenure on a kitchen-cabinet of advisers whose own ideological imperatives translated into wrong turns for him. He never acquired the competencies of an international statesman. In his later years he saw the world through a filter of dogmatism whilst carrying a banner for 'freedom' which was emblazoned with bombs. His attempts to export the American dream became a nightmare for others; and there can be little doubt that his own leanings in the direction of de-regulation contributed to the financial crisis that continues to grip America – and by extension much of the rest of the world.

The last time Bush had faced the press was on Dec 14 in Baghdad and he demonstrated that he still had speedy reactions and good peripheral vision when he got 'showed shoes' by one of the reporters in attendance. The shoes missed, the reporter was arrested, and now we are days from The Last Hurrah and the handing on of the baton. Few in this part of the world are going to mourn his passing and George Bush may well have done more to proliferate global terrorism that any of his predecessors. Enjoy your retirement, Mr President…and don't call us, we'll call you. Maybe.


The statement by the US State Department that it has imposed sanctions against 13 individuals and three firms linked to the A Q Khan network has refocused attention on the issue of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Even though, in response to the statement, the Pakistani prime minister has asserted that the A Q Khan chapter is a 'closed one', and that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state, the fact is that in Washington there remains a great deal of unease over the security of Islamabad's nuclear arsenal. A recent report in the 'New York Times' said the US had secretly helped Pakistan put in place steps to safeguard them. But despite the adoption of these measures, concerns remain high with the matter brought up at several recent meetings.

As such, the issue is one that will figure on the list of issues to be dealt with by the incoming US president, Barack Obama. The US media says he has already received a detailed briefing on Pakistan and the degree of alarm over the possibility that its nuclear arms could find their way into the hands of terrorists. Officials have called on him to act swiftly. Suspicions of links between the Pakistan establishment and the Taliban have fuelled this concern. Accounts also suggest the Obama administration will wish to deal decisively with Pakistan and that during internal discussions between those who will lead the new administrative setup, Pakistan remains a hot topic. According to media scenarios, a prime fear is that terrorist strategy may pivot around having Pakistan move its nuclear weapons to frontline positions, where they would be more vulnerable to capture. There is even conjecture that the entire Mumbai action was based on the hope of triggering a Pak-India confrontation. Some, perhaps even all, of this may be rather far-fetched. But there can be no doubt about a nexus between intelligence agencies and extremists. Hard proof of this link is said to have been laid out at meetings in Washington in the form of taped conversations.

What Islamabad needs to do is demonstrate foresight. As a prelude to beginning a new relationship with Obama and his men, it would do well to engage in a spot of spring cleaning. Around the state of Pakistan, many messy corners can be found. Within the country many in the know comment openly about the fact that elements in powerful positions still believe support for the Taliban is central to self-interest. At the same time we insist that eradicating extremism is a prime aim. Reports of raids on key centres of extremism go out to Washington at key moments. Islamabad needs to clear its own mind, dust away the cobwebs that still lurk and keep in view the need to re-build trust and faith.


In remarks that are harsher than any heard in recent days from New Delhi, the Indian home minister has warned his government would adopt a policy of 'isolating' Pakistan, unless it takes action against those who New Delhi says staged recent attacks in Mumbai. The home minister has said there had been no response so far to the dossier of evidence handed over to Pakistan. He warned a continued failure to 'cooperate' could bring a suspension in trade, business and tourist links with Pakistan. The Indian minister's words come just as the British foreign secretary arrives in India on a short visit. Quite evidently, they are aimed at building international opinion against Pakistan. Indeed, according to anecdotal evidence, India has already toughened its stance on issuing visas to Pakistanis while tourists who have dared to venture across the border report stepped up harassment.

The current tensions and the diplomatic deadlock they have brought about have gone on far too long. Islamabad and New Delhi, possibly with a little help from friends such as China and the UK, need to find a way to break free. India must accept the possibility of a role in the Mumbai attacks by groups based on its own soil. Pakistan must look into the possibility of links to forces based within its borders. The situation has not been handled with any great skill in either capital. A way needs to be found to move on.

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Regards,
P.R.